The accumulation of non-biodegradable plastic debris in the environment raises serious concerns about potential long-term effects on the environment,the economy,and waste management.To assess the feasibility of substi...The accumulation of non-biodegradable plastic debris in the environment raises serious concerns about potential long-term effects on the environment,the economy,and waste management.To assess the feasibility of substitut-ing commercial plastics for a biodegradable renewable polymer for many applications,low-density polyethylene(LDPE)was mixed with varying concentrations of algal biomass(AB).Algae are considered a clean,renewable energy source because they don’t harm the environment and can be used to create bioplastics.Algal biomass grown in a high rate algal pond(HRAP)used for wastewater treatment used at 12.5-50 weight percent.Mechan-ical,thermal,and morphological characteristics of the LDPE/AB mixes were studied.Improved compatibility and uniformity between the LDPE matrix and algal biomass phase were evident in the morphology of LDPE/AB blends.Tensile strength(TS)and elastic modulus(EM)of the prepared LDPE/AB blends significantly decreased to 4.63 and 255 MPa,respectively.Nevertheless,by increasing the concentration of AB up to 25%and 37.5%,the mechanical properties enhanced and raised to(TS=6.75 MPa,EM=426 MPa)and(TS=7 MPa,EM=494 MPa),respectively.Using 25%and 37.5%of AB significantly enhanced the miscibility and interaction between algal bio-mass and LDPE polymer.However,increasing the percentage of AB led to a reduction in the thermal stability of the LDPE/AB.In contrast,compatibilized blends demonstrated better thermal stability compared to un-compa-tibilized blends.These findings indicate that it is possible to develop a blend with improved structural,thermal,and mechanical properties by partially replacing LDPE with biodegradable algal biomass.展开更多
文摘The accumulation of non-biodegradable plastic debris in the environment raises serious concerns about potential long-term effects on the environment,the economy,and waste management.To assess the feasibility of substitut-ing commercial plastics for a biodegradable renewable polymer for many applications,low-density polyethylene(LDPE)was mixed with varying concentrations of algal biomass(AB).Algae are considered a clean,renewable energy source because they don’t harm the environment and can be used to create bioplastics.Algal biomass grown in a high rate algal pond(HRAP)used for wastewater treatment used at 12.5-50 weight percent.Mechan-ical,thermal,and morphological characteristics of the LDPE/AB mixes were studied.Improved compatibility and uniformity between the LDPE matrix and algal biomass phase were evident in the morphology of LDPE/AB blends.Tensile strength(TS)and elastic modulus(EM)of the prepared LDPE/AB blends significantly decreased to 4.63 and 255 MPa,respectively.Nevertheless,by increasing the concentration of AB up to 25%and 37.5%,the mechanical properties enhanced and raised to(TS=6.75 MPa,EM=426 MPa)and(TS=7 MPa,EM=494 MPa),respectively.Using 25%and 37.5%of AB significantly enhanced the miscibility and interaction between algal bio-mass and LDPE polymer.However,increasing the percentage of AB led to a reduction in the thermal stability of the LDPE/AB.In contrast,compatibilized blends demonstrated better thermal stability compared to un-compa-tibilized blends.These findings indicate that it is possible to develop a blend with improved structural,thermal,and mechanical properties by partially replacing LDPE with biodegradable algal biomass.
